The Mets may not be able to squeeze much value out of Tyrone Taylor at the trade deadline, but they can still aim for something useful.
Taylor is headed for free agency after the season, and the profile is plain enough: a .207 hitter with some pop that comes and goes, plus speed and steady defense. He can handle all three outfield spots, which is exactly the kind of skill set that could make sense for the Mariners, especially with their outfield defense sitting at -9 OAA this year.
Only the Athletics have been worse. For Seattle, Taylor would fit as a late-inning defensive replacement and, if needed, a short-term regular while someone else is out.
If the Mets are looking for a return, the best target may not be one of Seattle’s better-known prospects. A more interesting name is Peyton Alford, a 28-year-old left-hander who has taken a long, unusual route to get here. He was undrafted before his pro career began, and he’s still unranked, but he’s also finally starting to look like a real piece.
Alford has spent time in Double-A for multiple seasons, and the results there were strong enough to turn heads. He posted a 1.42 ERA with a 14.2 K/9 rate in 19 innings, and he walked only two batters.
This year, he has moved into Triple-A for the first time and has kept the momentum going, putting up a 3.31 ERA in 16.1 innings. The strikeout stuff is still loud - a 13.2 K/9 rate - but the walks remain the question, sitting at 5.5 BB/9.
That’s the tradeoff with Alford: real swing-and-miss ability, but enough control issues to keep him from racing to the majors. Still, the Mets have room to take a look at pitchers like him after the deadline, especially if A.J.
Minter and Brooks Raley are shipped elsewhere. He’s been better against righties this season, holding them to a .580 OPS, compared with a .633 OPS from lefties, but there’s no reason to overthink the usage if he ends up in New York.
Seattle hasn’t rushed him before, and with his Rule 5 eligibility coming this offseason, the Mariners could lose him for nothing if they don’t add him. That makes him a sensible kind of return for the Mets: not a headline name, but a pitcher with enough upside to matter. If he turns into something like Danny Young, that’s a win.
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